This is the story of the women from the Indian Subcontinent who fought against British imperial power from the 1600s until the independence of India and Pakistan in 1947. It begins by looking at the Partition of India, and the unique impact this had on women who – in addition to the displacement and violence which affected millions of South Asians, suffered uniquely through a campaign of rape, abduction, and forced suicides which left a lasting impact on the souls of women from every community. It then seeks to shine a light on the often-forgotten story of these women – who were not just passive victims of British, and later, communal violence, but who fought alongside (or sometimes at the head of) their male counterparts to secure the fall of the British Raj and the independence of their own nation. The stories of up to forty women, are examined, from various religious and racial communities across South Asia who advocated for Indian Independence and should be remembered and celebrated as influential freedom fighters in the same way that their male contemporaries have been. The book concludes by briefly examining the role of women in Indian nationalist movements today, and how this can be traced to the precedent set by their ancestors during the colonial era.

• Cover
• Title
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Contents
• Abbreviation
• Introduction
• Chapter one: Ranis and Revolutionaries
  • Ahilya Bai Holkar (1725–1795)
  • Rani Velu Nachiyar (1730–1796)
  • Rani Kittur Chennamma (1778–1829)
  • Maharani Jindan Kaur (c.1817–1863)
  • Rani Avantibai Lodhi (1831–1858)
  • Rani Lakhsmibai of Jhansi (c. 1828–1858)
  • Jhalkaribai (1830–1858)
  • Begum Hazrat Mahal (c. 1820–1879)
  • Uda Devi Pasi (1830–1857)
  • Mahabiri Devi (died 1857)
  • Asghari Begum (died. 1857)
  • Nanibala Bandyopadhyay (1888–1967)
  • Bhogeshwari Phukanani (1885–1942)
  • Bina Das (1911–1986)
  • Pritilata Waddedar (1911–1932)
  • Kalpana Dutt (1913–1995)
  • Leela Roy (1900–1970)
  • Santi Ghose (1916–1989) and Suniti Choudhury (1917–1988)
  • Bhikaiji Rustom Cama (1861–1936)
  • Rani Gaidinliu Pamei (1915–1993)
  • Gulab Kaur (1890–1941)
  • Aruna Asaf Ali (1909–1996)
  • Captain Lakhsmi Sahgal (1914–2012)
• Chapter two: Stalwarts and Satyagrahis
  • Kasturbai Gandhi (1869–1944)
  • Manu Gandhi (1927–1969)
  • Sushila Nayyar (1914–2001)
  • Avantika Bai Gokhale (1882–1949)
  • Renuka Ray (1904–1997)
  • Sarojini Naidu (1879–1949)
  • Dame Amrit Kaur (1887–1964)
  • Latika Bose (1902–1987)
  • Kamala Nehru (1899–1936)
  • Swarup Rani Nehru (1868–1938)
  • Krishnabai Rau Nimbkar (1906–?)
  • Lilavati Munshi (1899–1978)
  • Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay (1903–1988)
  • Jyotirmayee Gangopadhyay (1889–1945)
  • Matangini Hazra (1870–1942)
  • Ambabai (c. 1900–c. 1970)
  • Subbamma Duvvuri (1881–1964)
  • Jankidevi Bajaj (1893–1979)
  • Gammididala Durgabai Deshmukh (1909–1981)
  • Accamma Cherian (1909–1982)
  • Subhadra Kumari Chauhan (1904–1948)
  • Khurshedben Naoroji (1894–1966)
  • Satyavati Devi (1905–2010)
• Chapter three: Partners and Politicians
  • Rattanbai ‘Ruttie’ Maryam Jinnah (1900–1929)
  • Fatima Jinnah (1893–1967)
  • Vijayalakshmi Pandit (1900–1990)
  • Begum Jahanara Shahnawaz (1896–1979)
  • Abadi Bano Begum or Bi Amma (1839–1924)
  • Amjadi Bano (1885–1947)
  • Shareefa Hamid Ali (c. 1883–1971)
  • Sucheta Kripalani (1908–1974)
  • Begum Qudsia Aijaz Rasul (1909–2001)
  • Hansa Mehta (1897–1995)
• Conclusion
• End Notes
• Bibliography
• Acknowledgements
• Plates